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Quality Issues (Allen Edmonds Bayfield Boots)

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Hello everybody,

After taking a look at various threads, I've decided to introduce myself to Allen Edmonds, which is quite the step up from Spring (for any Canadians out there). Since the customer service at my local Harry Rosen is pretty terrible, I ordered a pair of Bayfield boots directly from AE's website. After the extremely arduous process of having the boots--along with some shoe care products--shipped to Canada (another story in itself), I was excited to finally have a look at them in person. I was initially very impressed; however, I noticed several defects and I was wondering if they are within acceptable limits for firsts.

Here is a description of the screenshots in the attachments:

1 - Silhouette of the boots
2 - Cut on the sole
3 - Various scratches (more on the tongue and elsewhere)
4 - Scratches and/or lack of dye around the stitching
5 - Scratches and black marks near the top
6 - Lack of dye running along the edges of the sole

Is this something I should bring up with AE customer service? If so, should I be requesting some form of compensation due to the quality issues? I would really appreciate it if anybody could offer some advice on what I should do. I understand that I will most likely scratch the boots within the first couple of wearings, but I would rather it be my fault than tha manufacturer's--it looks somewhat unfinished/damaged the way it is now.

Thanks!





 

lee_44106

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These things have ZERO functional impact on the shoes.

They are, overall, within the tolerance of a pair of Allen Edmonds.

These are the exact details that separate a pair of $330 AE's from a pair of $700+ C&J handgrades or $1100+ Edward Greeens.

For what it's worth, I'd expect the same lack of attention to super fine details from Alden.
 

phailing101

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I agree, generally the boots look great. You can work on getting those scratches minimized with normal care but I wouldn't send them back or anything.

Generally, my AE experience has not had issues like this but I would still not be too concerned.

Really nice boots BTW.
 

bigbjorn

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Lovely boots, and scratches appear within the expected realm for a pair of boots that underwent an arduous cross-border shipping expedition. Wear them in good health. Unless they're 9.5Es, then flip them on B&S for a low low price.
 

viator

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I think #5 is the most serious issue, and if that black mark were on the toe, I would definitely complain. However, since it's in a place where no one will see it, I don't think it's a big deal.
 

DerekS

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Originally Posted by lee_44106
These things have ZERO functional impact on the shoes.

They are, overall, within the tolerance of a pair of Allen Edmonds.

These are the exact details that separate a pair of $330 AE's from a pair of $700+ C&J handgrades or $1100+ Edward Greeens.

For what it's worth, I'd expect the same lack of attention to super fine details from Alden.


+1
 

pebblegrain

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Complaining and returning for a refund is fine, but if you want them
to send you a perfect pair as a replacement, that ain't happenin. A replacement pair could have just as many minor issues, or more. You choose
 
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Thanks for the replies! I wasn't sure what to be expecting for my first AE purchase, so I really appreciate the advice.

Based on everybody's replies and my own opinion, all the minor defects don't appear to be a major consideration--with the exception of one. I was wondering about the cut shown in the 2nd screenshot; it's difficult to see from the angle of the camera, but it's about 1mm deep and extends all the way to the stitching. Could this possibly cause any problems in the future? I don't mean to come across as nitpicking, but wouldn't a defect of this level qualify them as seconds?
 

AnGeLiCbOrIs

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Originally Posted by bubble_republic
Thanks for the replies! I wasn't sure what to be expecting for my first AE purchase, so I really appreciate the advice. Based on everybody's replies and my own opinion, all the minor defects don't appear to be a major consideration--with the exception of one. I was wondering about the cut shown in the 2nd screenshot; it's difficult to see from the angle of the camera, but it's about 1mm deep and extends all the way to the stitching. Could this possibly cause any problems in the future? I don't mean to come across as nitpicking, but wouldn't a defect of this level qualify them as seconds?
I don't think it's a cut. It looks like that is where the two ends of the welt meet.
 

Orgetorix

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- Scratches happen to leather, and they polish out easily.
- The "cut" you mention isn't a cut at all. It's where the welt seam is. The welt is a long piece of leather that's sewn all around the boot, and the "cut" is where the two ends of the strip meet.
- The "lack of dye" around the sole edge is the way the boot is supposed to be, for aesthetic reasons. Many people find a lighter edge attractive. If you don't like it, get some edge dressing and darken it. It'll cost you $3-4 and 5 minutes.

The only legitimate issue there at all is the black mark near the top in the one shot, and it's not worth worrying about, either. Just the beginning of a nice patina that will develop as you wear them and polish them.
 

distinctive

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Another thing to consider is the type of leather itself. Chromexcel will "scratch" if you brush up against a pillow. It is purely a superficial thing that can be rubbed out with your finger. The leather itself is very durable yet soft due to the re-tannage with lots of oil.
 

Joenobody0

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Originally Posted by bubble_republic
Hello everybody,

1 - Silhouette of the boots
2 - Cut on the sole
3 - Various scratches (more on the tongue and elsewhere)
4 - Scratches and/or lack of dye around the stitching
5 - Scratches and black marks near the top
6 - Lack of dye running along the edges of the sole

Thanks!


Chromexcel leather can not really achieve a high gloss shine due to the specific treatment of the leather. Another result of this treatment is that it develops surfaces scratches easily. If you run your finger nail across the leather it will "scratch". If you give your boots a good long brushing with a horse hair brush the scratches should fade until you don't really see them.

Anything related to edge dressing can be fixed by you in 10 seconds.
 

MyOtherLife

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bubble_republic welcome to Styleforum.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with your boots. Wear them already.
 

sportin_life

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Those look fine to me also and within expected variation for AE.

Many of my AE firsts have similar imperfections, but those scratches will come out with a simple polish.

For #2, I don't think that's a cut either. As Angelicboris mentioned, it appears that is where the welt meets and is normal for many shoes.
 

alliswell

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These flaws are within tolerance. Also imageshack is your friend.
 

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